Browse Items (26 total)
Ivory container from Zamora catherdralThis ornate container is designed with many arabesques (interlinked, flowing designs of plants and animals), and includes peacocks, gazelles, birds,…
Medieval IslamGoing into this period (Berkey begrudgingly calls it Medieval), political Islam was fractured, with no great empires to speak of. The Fatimids and…
Bracelet with holy figuresThis bracelet was found in pre-Islamic Maghagha, Egypt, and depicts what are said to be "Holy figures." Pagan religions and spiritual practices were…
The rebuilding of the Ka'baThis excerpt from The Life of Muhammad recounts the rebuilding of the Ka'ba under the word of the prophet, which took place "fifteen years after the…
Muwalladun (converts to Islam and their descendants)Muwalladun play an important role in Islamic culture. As a term, it was applied in different ways at different times throughout Islamic history. The…
Dawlat al-atrak (state of the turks)Dawlat al-atrak refers to a “state of the turks,” or the Mamluk empire that emerged in the Middle period. Turkish people (and other non-Arab…
Mihna (inquisition)The mihna was the battle for authority between religious and political authority figures at the beginning of the ‘Abbasid period. The ‘Abbasid caliphs…
Jawari (slave courtesans)Jawari (plural) were "slave courtesans," enslaved women in the 'Abbasid empire that were valued mainly for their artistic performance. All while being…
Pamplona CasketThis incredibly intricate casket commissioned for Sayf al-Dawla Abd al-Malik contains portrayals of warriors, which is indicative of the powerful…